Saturday, 22 January 2011

Yes, US companies do tend to dominate technology today, but what encouragement do we give to our UK companies?

Looking at the last 30 articles by our British Broadcasting correspondent, we can see an article about a British company being sold to a US Giant; British newspapers creating apps for US Smartphone’s; and how bad British broadband really is.

US corporations like Apple, Google, Facebook, Twitter and Amazon get plugs in almost every article. Does Rory or the BBC make any effort to find out what UK companies and businesses are doing?

So once again, the British tax payer is footing the bill to shoot itself in the foot thanks to the BBC and people like Rory Cellen-Jones.

12. Wayne Ting: US college student not as successful as Mark Zuckerberg.

13. US guys making show for BBC.

14. Bebo trying to make a comeback after selling out.

15. Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook

16. Friendster / Facebook.

17. Network pioneers Friendster / Facebook.

18. Social networking Twitter and Facebook.

19. Google Book Store.

20. British Broadband that fails miserably to tell it how it really is.

21. Google and Amazon.

22. Teachers using the Wii and iPad.

23. Virgin web TV.

24. Google V Regulators.

25. Exo PC V Apple iPad.

26. Hacking smartphones. Mention Apple iPhone, of course.

27. Government Transparency.

28. Children in need. Mention Twitter, Facebook, eBay and YouTube.

29. Google and Amazon.

30. Apple and Google Android.

Of course, one can appreciate that they are the companies making the news, but the BBC must take some responsibility for the UK companies and the UK News that it completely ignores. The UK is lucky if it get 10% of the coverage that US companies get.

Web sites like http://www.ratingsworld.co.uk/ (a UK shopping website that lets users shop in hundreds of stores whilst only needing to visit one website) or http://www.youcouldgetme.com/ (which is a universal wish list that allows you to add items from any website and could even take the place of Yahoo’s http://www.delicious.com if it goes the way of the dodo).

Small innovative UK businesses like these struggle to reach critical mass because the UK media are totally unaware of the economic impact they create when all of their free coverage is directed to foreign corporations.

This situation is really easy to turn around. Media outlets, like the BBC, and bloggers, correspondents and reporters like Rory Cellen-Jones just need to give UK businesses a more balanced share of their reporting. Try to ensure that 50% of your endeavours and output covers UK business and stop being shills for US corporations on the dime of the UK consumer and the UK taxpayer (and BBC license payer).

About Me

As you can see, I am Amber, and I am a cat.
I am quite naturally inquisitive and I do like purrfection.
Finding things and dragging them out into the open is my special talent.
I love the news and current affairs and it really makes my fur stand on end when I hear about some of the things Politicians and public servants get away with.
I do have a sense of humour, love Private Eye Magazine and am not in the least bit cynical, except maybe when it comes to Politics.
My favourite TV programme was Yes Prime Minister. Obviously, ministers were not joking when they said that the reality is worse than those events portrayed by Jim Hacker and Sir Humphrey.